A few weeks ago I FINALLY cracked into my instant pot for the season and went to town. Chicken, grains, beans, you name it! I’m obsessed and these Cauliflower Rice Veggie Bowls with Instant Pot Black Beans are my new go-to!
Okay. Okay. I’m a little late to the Instant Pot game but better late than never right? I’ve been experimenting for the better part of this year and I’m hooked. It’s really easy to use, and since I’ve been living with a make-shift kitchen, it’s great to cook a few things in bulk and keep them stocked in the fridge for dinners.
A few weeks back when we broke out the IP for the season, I whipped up these instant pot black beans and turn them into a planted based veggie bowl with all the guacamole. It came together on a total whim and it’s been on regular rotation ever since! (side note – I love it when that happens b/c I’m totally a creature of habit when it comes to lunches!) It’s just a spoonful of the best ever black beans, my cauliflower rice and kale mixture which I’m sure you’ll love, and some roasted veggies and guac. Simple. Healthy. LOADED with all the good things!
And a few FAQ’s regarding the instant pot:
This is the instant pot I use. I bought this one and the bigger one for research (obviously) and the massive one isn’t necessary.
If you don’t have the chili setting for this recipe, just do manual for 45 minutes.
I’ve started adding some other instant pot recipes to the site – mainly these slow cooker chickens!
Cauliflower Rice Veggie Bowls (with Instant Pot Black Beans)
Ingredients
For the Black Beans
- 1 red onion finely diced
- 6 cloves garlic roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 3-4 chipotles in adobo
- 1 pound dry black beans
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 6 cups water
For the sweet potatoes
- 3 large sweet potatoes diced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
For the Cauliflower rice
- 4 cups cauliflower florets
- 1 bunch dinosaur kale thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Topping
Instructions
For the Black Beans
- Turn the instant pot to saute. Add the oil, red onion and garlic and saute for 3-4 minutes. Add the spices and peppers and stir to combine. Add the dry beans, salt, and water in the bowl of the Instant Pot and give it a stir. Cover with the lid, and be sure to turn the vent at the top to the "sealed" position. Set the Instant Pot to cook for 45 minutes on the Chili setting. When the timer goes off, let the steam pressure naturally release for at least 20 minutes before attempting to remove the lid. Drain the beans from most of their liquid and store them in an airtight container the fridge or freezer until ready to use.
For the sweet potatoes
- While the beans are cooking, dice the sweet potatoes and transfer to a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper and roast in a 425 degree oven for 25-30 minutes until golden brown. Remove and set aside.
For the Cauliflower rice
- Make sure your cauliflower is fully dry. Place the cauliflower in a food processor and pulse until it has the texture of rice. Work in batches and don’t over process or it will get mushy. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add the kale and sauté until wilted. Add the cauliflower and saute, until heated through, about 5 minutes. Season with salt, pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice to help remove any bitterness from the raw cauliflower.
Assembly
- Portion the Cauliflower rice into 4 serving bowls. Add a spoonful of the beans to each bowl and a spoonful of the roasted sweet potatoes. Top with plenty of guacamole and serve.
Oh my gosh I love everything you make!! I wish we were neighbors!! I made quinoa stuffed peppers the other night and what a huge hit!! Loved then!! Thanks so much.
This looks delicious but sadly I don’t have a pressure cooker can it be made without?
you could totally do it on the stove top, just soak the beans overnight and then follow the recipe for sauting the onions etc and then when it comes time to cook the beans, cook them for 60-70 minutes until tender
Now my Instapot has a real purpose in life!
Thanks for the gorgeous healthy recipe that I could eat forever!
Love, love, love this. So much goodness in one bowl!
Ok. So I just tried this (the beans) in the instapot….. Smelled delicious, but after the full time I opened it and it was a bunch of super soggy beans floating in a ton of liquid. I just reread your recipe to confirm I completely followed it (I did). I’ve now poured it all through a collander, but am going to need to throw it in a pan and cook to make edible for an actual meal. I keep trying to “get” the instapot, yet I always just keep thinking “how hard is it to (pre)cook beans/rice/etc and keep them in the fridge”. Todays experiment took over an hour between prep and cook time and now I’m still going to have to amend. If I, obviously had prep work done, I could have had my deal done in about 15 mins! What am I not getting?
Hey Meghan! What do you mean? Were the beans not cooked through or still hard? They should be sitting in quite a bit of liquid when they are done and you strain them before serving. LMK and we’ll get to the bottom of it! xx
I just stumbled upon this recipe through one of your meal plans, and it was so, so good. The beans were fantastic, and at least for us, would allow us to make this a couple times (the rest of the recipe is pretty quick). Delicious!
Do you have how many this serves? Or serving size?
Serves 4-6
Yes Please!! I would like this for dinner tonight!
It’s so easy and you can make any alterations if need be! Super simple, super tasty! Highly recommend!!
Do I need to soak the beans overnight for the IP? I can’t wait to meal prep this. It looks/sounds delicious!!!
Thanks!!
you do not! 🙂
I don’t own an instapot but want to make this???? Hoq
stay tuned – I have a stovetop black bean recipe coming to the site shortly
awesome dinner!
Sooo good! Made it with delicata squash and it turned out so amazing! Definitely would make again!
This is going to be a favorite!
This black bean recipe convinced me to always make my own from dried beans. Although Rancho Gordo would be ideal, even with cheap black beans these were exceptional. Social isolation right now meant I didn’t have a bay leaf or the adobo peppers, but I substituted some of the elote seasoning from Trader Joe’s and also used homemade bone broth for half of the liquid. Exceptional. Thanks as always Gaby!
Took me one hour to prepare. Used one can black beans, one half of a red onion, 3 cloves garlic, one head of cauliflower, and half a crate of super greens sliced. Fed 4 with fruit on the side. Great vegetarian bowl, Gaby!
I’m so happy to see pressure cooker recipes. I love mine. I make my pintos and refried beans in it and have been converting other recipes to PC.
I don’t have the ‘chili’ setting on my InstantPot, so I will use ‘manual’ for 45 min. BUT I also have to select ‘high’ or ‘low’ heat. Which is it? What does the chili setting use?
Have the same insta pony, but no chili option, or manual…..Assume pressure cook is the same as manual……..do I set it for low , medium or high pressure cook♀️
Can’t wait to try, thanks for the inspiration!
Very good. Lots of leftovers-the black beans were fantastic!
Gaby – love this fresh recipe for the New Year! I’m not into the instapot – can you post alternative cooking prep/methods for this recipe please? Thanks much!!
There are no words to describe how much I love this!!!!!!! I love you Gaby!
I must admit I am not always the biggest fan of cauliflower rice as a sub for grains but I cannot stop making this recipe on repeat for my lunches! I add cotija cheese for some cheesy goodness.
Love this “rice” swap with all the tasty add ins!
Absolutely phenomenal ❤️
Made this today… absolutely delicious!! So hearty and healthy. The beans are amazing! This is my new go to black beans recipe- so flavorful. Thank you!!